Title

Presenter Information

Location

3030

Format Type

Paper

Format Type

Paper

Start Date

January 2016

End Date

January 2016

Abstract

Intimacy, an essential component of social interactions and emotional well-being, not to mention marriage and committed relationships, is evolving. Part of this evolution is in light of technological advances. Over the last decades, due to the exponential growth of virtual interaction, the creation of intimate relationships is taking place in virtual worlds such as Second Life. Using social construction, family systems theory, and the theory of embodied presence as theoretical frameworks, this qualitative dissertation seeks to investigate real life implications for individuals who are married on Second Life and experience virtual intimacy. The overarching research question for this grounded theory study is: What are the real life implications of the virtual experience of intimacy for individuals who are partnered on Second Life?

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Virtual to Real: A Grounded Theory of Intimacy on Second Life

3030

Intimacy, an essential component of social interactions and emotional well-being, not to mention marriage and committed relationships, is evolving. Part of this evolution is in light of technological advances. Over the last decades, due to the exponential growth of virtual interaction, the creation of intimate relationships is taking place in virtual worlds such as Second Life. Using social construction, family systems theory, and the theory of embodied presence as theoretical frameworks, this qualitative dissertation seeks to investigate real life implications for individuals who are married on Second Life and experience virtual intimacy. The overarching research question for this grounded theory study is: What are the real life implications of the virtual experience of intimacy for individuals who are partnered on Second Life?